Nisin, an important bacteriocin from Lactococcus lactis subsp., is primarily active against various Gram-positive bacteria. Leucocin C, produced by Leuconostoc carnosum 4010, is a class IIa bacteriocin used to inhibit the growth of Listeria monocytogenes. Because two bacteriocins have different modes of action, the combined use of them could be a potential strategy for effective inhibition of f...

The emergence of acquired high-level resistance among Enterococcus species has renewed interest in mechanisms of resistance to glycopeptide antibiotics in gram-positive bacteria. In Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium, resistance is encoded by the van gene cluster and is due to the production of a peptidoglycan precursor terminating in D-alanyl-D-lactate, to which vancomycin does not...

The production of glycosyltransferases (GTFs) from constitutive mutant strain Leuconostoc mesenteroides M2860 was studied. When grown in glucose medium in the absence of sucrose Leuc. mesenteroides M2860 produced low, but detectable GTF activity. Much of the GTF activity (81%) in sucrose grown cultures was located in the cell pellets. Extracellular and cell associated activities were determined...

The microbial diversity occurring in Stilton cheese was evaluated by 16S ribosomal DNA analysis with PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis. DNA templates for PCR experiments were directly extracted from the cheese as well as bulk cells harvested from a variety of viable-count media. The variable V3 and V4-V5 regions of the 16S genes were analyzed. Closest relatives of Lactococcus lactis, ...

A total of 84 of 150 vancomycin-resistant (defined as no inhibition of bacterial growth around a 30-micrograms vancomycin disk placed on 5% sheep blood-Trypticase soy agar [BBL Microbiology Systems, Cockeysville, Md.]) bacteria were definitively identified by determining the phenotypic criteria. The identity of representatives was also confirmed by DNA-DNA hybridizations. The following strains ...

A total of 375 lactic acid bacteria were isolated from fermenting cassava in South Africa, Benin, Kenya and Germany, and were characterised by phenotypic and genotypic tests. These could be divided into five main groups comprising strains of facultatively heterofermentative rods, obligately heterofermentative rods, heterofermentative cocci, homofermentative cocci and obligately homofermentative...